Water craft



Sept. 15, 1931 W. V. GiLBERT WATER CRAFT Filed March 7, 1929', 2 sn e c-s eet 2 1 a v W A'ITORNEY Patented Sept. 15, 1931 PATENT OFFICE WALTER VILLA GILBERT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WATER CRAFT Application filed March 7,

This invention relates to boats and particularly to water surface craft propelled by motive power.

One object of my invention is to provide a craft of this character with an airfoil or pair of wings, the effect of which is to decrease the normal submergence of the hull of the craft and also to the end that by suitable manipulation of the airfoil or wings the boat may be made to skim or leap out of the water.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved boat which is constructed so that it may be driven-at high speed with but little of the hull submerged in the water.

In the particular embodiment of my invention herein disclosed, the boat, which is provided at the stern with a motor driven propellerof the usual type, has its keel fiattened in a direction transverse to its length at a point somewhat to the rear of the how.

The movement of the boat through the water causes currents of water beneath the boat to How upwardly against the bottom, and in the operation of the boat these upwardly directed currents impinge against the fiattened part of the bottom with the result that the boat when moving rapidly assumes a position with its fore part high in the water. One important advantage of this action is to reduce to a minimum the part of the hull surface which is submerged, with the result that the skin friction between the hull and the water is reduced to a minimum. As a consequence higher speeds may be obtained than are possible with a greater portion of the hull submerged.

For the purpose of stabilizing the boat, particularly against rocking motion when it is being operated at high speed and also for other purposes which will be presently pointed out, I provide the boat with airfoils or wings extending outwardly from the sides. The wings may if desired be attached in a permanent manner to the boat structure, provided that the wings are so mounted upon the main spar or the main spar so mounted upon the structure that the angle of incidence of the wings may be 1929. Serial No. 345,034.

varied by any suitable mechanism. I preferably employadjustable wings such as are disclosed in my copending, applications, Serial Numbers 323,911, filed December 5, 1928; and 324,699, filed December 8, 1928. 5 By providing the boat with adjustable camber wings as disclosed in said application I not only secure adequate stability of operation of the boat at high speed but I also may adjust the wings .so as to secure an additional lifting effect. ThusI may still further decrease the submergence of the hull of the boat and also by adjusting the wings for great lifting power, I may cause the boat moving at a high speed actually to leave the water and sail through the air for a considerable distance.

Water. craft constructed in accordance with my invention is not only of value as a source of amusement and recreationybut such craft may also advantageously be employed as a practical and safe means for preliminary instruction in the methods and principles of flight.

The adjustable wings or airfoils may if desired be permanently attached to the hull of the boat or they may be entirely removable therefrom and a further object of my invention is to provide a pair of wings or airfoils with means for readily and removably mounting the wings in proper position on the hulls of motor boats of existing types;

A further. object of my invention is to provide a boat with wings or airfoils which normally extend outwardly from the sides of the boats but which are movable so as to extend longitudinally of and over the boat. By providing for a movement of the wings to this latter position the wings may be employed as an awning or canopy to pro tect the boat or occupants from the weather; furthermore, this positioning of the wings considerably reduces the horizontal area 00- cupied by the boat and permits the boat to be maneuvered and stored in a relatively 95 narrow space.

A further feature of my invention relates to the construction of the hull or body of the water craft. The hull constructed in accordance with my invention is simple, we

" merged propeller 13.

light and economical in construction and may be easily made from a metal sheet by stamping or bending, as will be more particularly pointed out hereafter.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure '1 is a front elevation of one form of my invention showing diagrammatically a boat and a pair of adjustable wings secured thereto;

Figure 2 is a diagrainmatical plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a diagrammatical side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the adjustable wings and means for securthe wing to the gunwale of a boat; "Figures 5. and 6 are perspective and fragmentary pl'an views respectively of a modificationwhereinthe airfoils are mounted on a so as to be rotatable in a horizontal plane and "Figure-'1 is a viewsimilar-to Figure but showing-the wings rotated through 90. jReferring'more particularly to'Figures 1 to '3, referencecharacter 10 represents a boat having at its stern an outboard motor 12 whichservesto operate a normally sub- VVhile I have shown the motor as located outside the hull, it will be understood that I may if desired employ a motor which is located inside the hull.

Suitably secured to the gunwale of the hull are uprights or posts14 which may be supported by brackets 15 secured to the hull 16-0f'the boat. Two of the posts are located at each side of the boat, and connecting the two posts at each side are bars 17 which form longrons andserve to support the wings 20.

While I may in certain cases use wings of any of the well known types so long as they are so mounted that the angle of incidence canbe varied, I preferably employ wings which are adjustable to vary their lifting power without necessarily changing the angle of incidence. In the form of my invention shown in Figures 1 to i I disclose anjustable wings of substantially the same construction and arrangement as shown in Figures 1 to 3 of my copending application Serial Number 324,699, above referred to.

' The wings as shown in Figures 1 to 4 of the present application comprise a member C which constitutes the main spar of the wing and which I term a lever; a member A which forms an auxiliary or entering spar, which I term a link and a member E which forms a controlling means for the auxiliary spar A and which I terma crank.

In the following description reference will be made to one wing only, and reference letters will refer to the spars, links and sleeves and numerals will refer to the joints.

The preferred construction comprises as essential members auxiliary spars such as the entering spar A and the trailing. spar B, a main spar C and a main spar extension D. The outer ends A1, B1 and C1 of the respective spars A, B and C are joined together at 31 in a suitable articulate manner andlmay formthe wing-tip area:

The inner end A2 of the entering spar is articulatively connected to a sleeve I and the inner end 1320f the trailing spar is articulatively connected to a sleeve K, the sleeves I and K being slidably mounted on the longron 17 or equivalent part of the frame work orfuselage in such a manner thaneither sleeve may be made to approach or recede from the other-or'both sleeves may be made to approach or recede from each other. j

The construction is such that the inner end C2 of the main spar C must be at a fixed distance both from the inner end of the entering spar A and from the inner end ofthe trailing spar B, this distance being main tained by suitable links E and F, as well as by the ribs 36 and 37 It will be evident that in the construction shown the camber of the wing will depend upon the distance apart of the sleeves I and Kandthat-as the sleeves I and K approach one another the camber will be increased. Theinnerend C2 of the main spar must be maintained above the plane containing the inner ends of the entering trailing spar and to this end the movements of the sleeves must be restricted.

In the construction disclosed the arrangement of the main spar relative to the entering and trailing spars has the effect of so predetermin-ing the lines of force that a lift imparted to the wing sets up a pull along-the entering and trailing spars and a thrust along the main spar, and the stresses in the several members are substantially all either tensile or compressive. By suitably curving the entering .and trailing spars, it can be arranged that the lateral components of stresses acting on any elemental'length of a spar shall exactly balance the lateral load on that'elementa-l length due to the normal lift and drag forces acting on the wing.

The stresses in the entering and trailing spars and the main spar will then in the normal flight be entirely tensile and compressive respectively.

The main spar extension I) is provided for the purpose of linking the inner end C2 of the main spar to or adjacent the frame Work or fuselage in such a manner that the axis about which the inner end of the mam spar swings may be a moving axis. The

extension D relative to the other parts.

That end D5 of the main spar extension opposite to the end which is connected to the inner end of the main spar is connected to a compound joint or apex joint to which may be also connected in a similar manner the main spar extension for the opposite wing. The link G which I term the fore link is articulatively connected at its ends to the apex joint 35 and the entering sleeve I, respectively. Another link H, which I term the aft link, is articulatively connected at its ends to the apex joint 35 and the trailing sleeve K, respectively.

With the arrangement shown an alteration in camber of the wing by alteration in distance between the sleeves I and K is in general accompanied by an alteration in the dihedral angle. The extent and direction of the change in dihedral angle for a given change in camber will depend upon the disposition of the apex joint 35. The control of the wing may be eifected by the movement of one or both of the sleeves I and K by any suitable means such as a ratchet gear operated by a compound lever mechanism. Also suitable means may be provided as disclosed in my copending application above referred to, for causing the longrons 15 to approach or recede from each other in such a way as to alter the angle of the respective main spars, one to the other.

In the construction shown the ribs 36 and 37 which connect the main spar with the entering and trailing spars A and B, respectively, serve to carry the wing covering.

It will be understood that the different members forming the wing and wing control may be so constructed that their movements relative to one another may be three dimensional movements.

In a modification the axis of the guide or longron for a moving sleeve may be arranged at an angle to the cord of the wing at its entering edge so that a change in the angle of incidence of the wing accompanies any change in the camber of the wing.

In the modification shown in Figures 5 to 7 the wing covering is made continuous over both wings so as to form a single airfoil which as shown in Figure 5 extends outwardly from opposite sides of the boat. In this modification the airfoil is of rigid construction and is mounted on a transverse horizontal shaft 40 which may be rotated about its axis by any suitable means, such as a worm and gear 42. Rotation of the shaft 40 rotates the wings of a horizontal plane about their longitudinal axis and serves to vary the angle of incidence so as to vary the lifting power of the airfoil.

Means is also provided in the modification shown in Figures 5 to 7 for rotating the airfoil about a central vertical axis so that it may be turned to a position to extend longitudinally of the boat as shown in Figure 7 and thus form an awning or protective covering for the boat. This means for rotating the airfoil comprises a capstan which may berotatably mounted in the hull of the boat in any suitable manner. The capstan comprises a rotatable base 44 upon which are mounted uprights 45 which carry at their upper ends bearing sleeves 46 in which the shaft 40 is rotatably mounted. Suitable guy rods 48 connecting the bearings 46 with the base 44 serve to strengthen the supporting construction for the airfoil. The base of the capstan 45 is provided'with a circular rack 50 which is engaged by a gear wheel 51 mounted on the shaft of the hand crank 52 which is employed for rotating the capstan. It will of course be understood that suitable locking means may be employed for holding the capstan in its adjusted position.

Vhile I may employ as the water craft, body, hulls of different types, I have illustrated in the drawing a hull which is particularly adapted for use with airfoils and which is simple in. construction and may be easily: formed from a 'flat' blank of sheet metal or metal plate by bending or stamping. In forming the hull in this manner, a fiat blank is bent longitudinally so that its longitudinal center forms the keel of the boat and at a point somewhat to the rear of the bow there is formed a transverse indentation indicated at 55 which has the effect of flattening the keel at this point in a direction transverse to the keel. This indentation forms the keel with a re-entrant angle and a flattened portion forms a surface which receives an upward thrust due to upwardly directed currents of water occurring when the boat is propelled. forward, as previously explained. The operation of bending the blank serves to bring the two edges of the blank at the bow and stern respectively together and these edges are subsequently joined to one another so as to form water tight joints at the bow and stern. Thus they may be joined to one another by a U shaped metal member which embraces the contacting edges and is suitably joined to these edges by riveting or other appropriate means.

For the purpose of strengthening the construction I may employ beneath the boat a tie rod 62, joining the bow and stern and also, inside the boat, braces or struts 63, so as to keep the sides of the boat in proper spaced relation to one another. Also to prevent sinking of the boat in case it becomes flooded, as well as to stabilize the hull, I may provide the boat with interior buoyancy tanks 65.

I claim:

1. A speed boat having a pair of wings extending from opposite sides of the boat and means for adjusting the wings from relativelysmall camber and; upward. dihedral to relatively large camber and downward dihedral.

2. The combination With-3,11: open boat, of wings mounted thereon and means-formoving said wings. from positions-extending'out- Wardly from the-[sideof the. boat to. osi'- tionsextending over and longitudinally of the heat so as to form an awning therefor;

3. The combination with a boat,-of wings mounted thereon adapted to extend outwardly from opposite sides of the'boat-and means for moving said wings as a unit from positions extending outwardly from the side of the boat to positions extending over and longitudinally of the boat and means foradjusting the wings to vary their lifting power.

4. A boat hull formed of a metal blank bent longitudinally of its length and formed intermediate its length withla= relatively narrow indentation transverse of the longitudinal bend and the two sides of the blank-at the bow and. stern respectively'being joined together.

- The method of forming the hull of a boat which consistsin bending a metal plate longitudinally to form the keel and transversely to form a relatively narrow indentation across the keel and joining together the sides of the plate at the bow and stern respectively.

6; A boat having a hull consisting of a plate of metal bent longitudinally to form a keel curved transversely of its length and formed at said keel with a reentrant flattened portion arranged-to receive an upward thrust of water as the boat is propelled so as to maintain the boat in an elevated position in the water.

7. A boat hull formed of a metal blank bent longitudinally of its length and formed intermediate its length with a relatively narrow undulation transverse of the longitudinal bend, the two sides of the blank at the bow and stern respectively being joined together and a longitudinal tie rod connecting the bow and stern at the bottom.

Signed at New York, in the County of New York and State of New York, thisfitth day of March, A. D. 1929.

lVALTER VILLA GILBERT. 

